This invention relates generally to a reduction system for removing soil in order to expose underground utilities (such as electrical and cable services, water and sewage services, etc.) and also for removing other materials from the ground or other surfaces for cleanup or remediation purposes.
With the increased use of underground utilities, it has become more critical to locate and verify the placement of buried utilities before installation of additional underground utilities or before other excavation or digging work is performed. Conventional digging and excavation methods such as shovels, post hole diggers, powered excavators, backhoes, etc., may be limited in their use in locating buried utilities as they may tend to cut, break, or otherwise damage the utilities during use of such digging devices.
Electronic devices are known which can be used to locate buried utilities with a certain degree of accuracy, one of such devices being the VERIFIER(copyright), manufactured by McLaughlin Manufacturing Company of Greenville, S.C. In using this device, an operator walks on the ground while holding the locating device, which signals when it finds a buried utility. The operator can then mark the ground at that point, but ordinarily, an actual viewing of the buried utility is required for confirmation. This requires digging up the soil manually, such as with a shovel or post hole digger, or using some powered digging means.
Devices have been developed which create holes in the ground to non-destructively expose and allow the actual bare underground utilities to be viewed. One design uses high pressure air delivered through a reduction tool, or wand, in order to loosen soil to form a hole, and includes a vacuum system to vacuum away the dirt as the dirt is loosened. Another system uses high pressure water delivered by a wand to soften the soil and create a soil/water slurry mixture. The wand is provided with a vacuum system for vacuuming the slurry away.
In addition to boring holes in the ground in a non-destructive manner, these devices may also be used for removing drilling mud, such as bentonite drilling fluid, which may leak out to the ground surface during well installations or other excavation operations. Otherwise, the bentonite could remain as an unsightly and undesirable coating on lawns and other ground coverings. Apart from vacuuming bentonite, the devices could be used to vacuum mud or other spoil from the ground, which could be byproducts of excavation or drilling operations, or, perhaps, flooding or spills.
One such device which uses water and a vacuum system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,317, issued to Perrott. U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,766, issued to Pobihushchy, discloses an excavator having a cutting tool pipe with nozzles for delivering high pressure water. The vacuum is drawn through a hose, with the water and displaced soil being drawn away into a holding tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,759, issued Artzberger, discloses a pneumatic excavator having nozzles associated with a housing and conduit. Another pressurized air device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,031, issued to Briggs, et al., which discloses an excavator having air nozzles extending downwardly from a digging head, which rotates during use. A suction unit is also provided.
While the foregoing designs are known, there still exists a need for a device having improved reduction capabilities.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a reduction system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a soil reduction system for excavating or removing soil in order to dig a hole.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a reduction system for moving materials such as snow, mud, grain, from one location to another.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reduction system for use in rescue operations for removing persons trapped or buried beneath soil, snow, mud, grain, or some other substance.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a reduction system for removing materials from the surface of the ground.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a reduction system having an improved fluid nozzle configuration.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a reduction system having means for automatically cleaning a holding tank.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reduction system having a reduction tool which can be readily extended in length.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a reduction system having a reduction tool with control means associated with the handle for controlling nozzle fluid flow and/or vacuuming action of the reduction tool.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a reduction system having nozzles in a reduction tool configured for providing a spiral cutting action.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reduction system having an automatic shut-off feature upon filling of a slurry, or spoil, accumulation tank.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reduction system having an automatic shut-off feature upon the level of water in a fluid supply tank falling below a predetermined level.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for removing soil or other matter from ground surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for cleaning an accumulation tank of a reduction device.
Generally, the present invention includes a reduction system using water pressure and vacuum excavation and includes a water supply tank, water pump, vacuum pump, slurry collection tank, means for tilting the collection tank, handheld reduction tool, and drive means.
The reduction tool, or wand, is used to deliver high pressure fluid, such as water, to the ground in order to loosen soil directly in front of the tool. The tool includes diametrically opposed nozzles which are angled with respect to one another such that pressurized water delivered from the nozzles is directed in a fashion to slice the ground in a generally spiral or helical fashion as the tool is pressed downward into the ground.
As the soil is loosened by the pressurized water delivered from the nozzles, the loosened soil is sucked away to form a hole in the ground, and such loosened soil (a slurry when mixed with the water) passes upwardly through the tool in a vacuum air-flow created by the vacuum pump. This slurry is ultimately deposited in the slurry collection tank.
To assist in the suctioning of the soil/water, or slurry, mixture from the hole, the tool is provided with air inlets which allow for the suction air-flow to sweep around the dirt and hole being cut with the tool.
The present invention also includes a single water line extending the length of the tool and terminating in a generally C-shaped manifold, to which the nozzles are attached. The C-shaped manifold is located on the interior of the reduction tool rather than on the exterior, thereby providing protection to the manifold from damage as the tool is being used.
A control valve is incorporated into a handle provided on the reduction tool, and the control valve is used to activate or deactivate the pressurized water nozzles as necessary.
The end of the reduction tool opposite the end having the nozzles is provided with connection means, such as quick release clamps, or banjo clips, which allow additional tool extension sections to be attached to effectively lengthen the tool, to thereby allow for digging deeper holes.
The reduction system of the present invention also includes an automatic tank clean out feature provided in the slurry collection tank. The slurry collection tank is used for storing the slurry, or spoil, or other material vacuumed up by the tool. When the slurry collection tank becomes full, an automatic system is provided which automatically shuts down the vacuum system. This prevents the slurry mixture from being drawn into the vacuum pump.
When it becomes necessary to empty the slurry collection tank, the liquid contents can be drained through a valve, such as a gate valve provided in the door of the tank. However, in order to remove solids which remain in the tank, a series of nozzles, such as fan nozzles, are provided which are connected to a water supply pipe running axially through the tank. These fan nozzles can then be actuated to deliver high pressure water to clean the tank, without requiring the operator to use a water hose or to resort to manual cleaning.
The axially running pipe includes a threaded male end which is received within a female fitting attached to a screw-down door handle provided on a door for the collection tank. The axial tube thus performs not only as a conduit for delivering water to the fan nozzles used to clean the tank, but also acts as a structural member against which the collection tank door is pulled when the door handle is turned, to an adjustable preset seat, for tightly sealing the door.
A reservoir water tank is provided with the system as a reservoir for supplying water to the nozzles.
The reduction system of the present invention can also be used for material handling purposes for transporting granular or particular matter, such as sand, soil, grain, or other substance from one location to another, namely, the accumulation tank. In such operations, the reduction system may be used with or without the water nozzle feature discussed above.
The reduction system of the present invention may also find use in rescue operations for buried or trapped persons. For example, the system could potentially be used for removing snow in order to locate or provide breathing passages for persons buried by an avalanche. It could also be used to remove or assist persons buried by earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, in grain elevators or in other farm or industrial situations. Additionally, it could be used to recover the bodies in a generally non-destructive manner of those who have perished in the foregoing situations.